Bill to Limit Colorado’s School-to-Prison-Pipeline Gets Pulled by Sponsors

Each school year, thousands of students are ticketed and arrested by police departments for in-school disciplinary infractions. Recently, a bill was introduced to the state senate which would try to limit some of these arrests and tickets put upon K-12 students.

Senate Bill 182 would have prohibited law enforcement officers from “arresting students, or issuing a summons, ticket, or notice requiring the appearance of a student in court or at a police station for certain offenses and conduct.” The bill also prohibits a school resource officer or law enforcement officer acting in their official capacity from handcuffing an elementary school student.

Low-level offenses such as cannabis possession, alcohol and tobacco infractions, and disorderly conduct make up a majority of the tickets and arrests at Colorado’s schools. Furthermore, these types of tickets and arrests disproportionately affect BIPOC students.

Senate Bill 182 was met with so much opposition from the Police Unions and other opponents that bill sponsors Senator Janet Buckner and Representative Leslie Herod felt that there was “no path forward.”

“We wrote SB21-182 to help move our state towards what we have heard law enforcement and school resource officers have said all along—school districts and law enforcement should be partners; school and community-based alternatives to criminal justice involvement should be utilized where safely possible, and tickets and arrests should be used as a last resort.”

We intended to lift up strong, school resource officers that are working with students every day through restorative justice programs, and not to prevent SROs in schools. We did not create “free zones” where students are free from disciplinary action. And, we strongly believe that a more balanced, collaborative approach between schools and law enforcement will lead to stronger, safer, healthier schools where every child can reach their full potential,” both sponsors wrote in a joint statement.

Jason Presley, a member of the state police union, the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police, and president of the Arapahoe Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement Tuesday that he was concerned Senate Bill 182 did a disservice to crime victims.

“There are crimes that do occur in schools,” Presley said. “If we can’t get involved—and the way this bill was written, we wouldn’t have been able to get involved—it would have turned the schools into a breeding ground for crime.”

Senate Bill 182’s sponsors have expressed hope that this is not the end of the conversation in regards to tickets and arrests for school-age children. Their joint statement concluded with an optimistic outlook for future collaboration between schools, police departments, and policymakers.

“While we have been disappointed by the divisive and inaccurate rhetoric around this bill, we remain committed to lifting up the voices of students and families who have faced the consequences of harsh discipline tactics. We remain committed to engaging in a collaborative process of finding solutions that work for all parties, and we look forward to building schools that are safe for all students. We encourage schools and law enforcement to work with us to ensure that students are centered as we continue to work towards a safer, more equitable education system.”